62 Miles And 61 Degrees

At the CDOT weather station not far away on I25 it's a balmy 40* compared to what it's like 62 miles as the crow flies at Alamosa in the San Luis Valley at -21*. It's been brutally cold there but and it's just that way life is in that valley. Those are some tough souls who chose to live there past and present.

Click on picture to make HUGE.

It's Snowing

Yup.

River Barge Traffic On The Not So Mighty Miss

They say by the 10th of this month levels will be too low between St. Louis and Cairo (pronounced KA-RO) for barge traffic. The dynamics of this are massive in what is shipped and what the results will be if they can't be.

ST. LOUIS, MO (KPLR) – This week’s edition of The Pulse of St. Louis takes a closer look at the dangerously low water levels on the Mississippi River. If water levels continue to drop, due to record setting drought, barges that transport coal, steel, corn, grain, and other products could come to a halt. 

This is actually a very good piece and includes four different discussion videos. The Coast Guard fellow isn't very good but it's the others you learn from. I put the last short video up because it's the Army Corps of Engineers spokesman who tells it like it really is. In that they expect there not to be enough moisture anytime soon and possibly including next year as well.

Seems real certain barge traffic will cease very soon on this stretch of the Mississippi. The only thing mighty about this is just how negative it is.

The Four Letter Arrived

It has been bland color wise for a while and this morning was a very nice change. The view to the south does not get old to me and times like this make it even better. This was just a bit ago and it looks even prettier now.

Was Hoping To Avoid This Very Thing - Wrong

It will go away but not today.

UPDATE: Wrong again. It did go away.

Is This The Year

It's always about the money!

A punishing Midwest drought may lead to food inflation as the cost of corn soars and the price of a key feedstock for ranchers rises.

Not many can get it. The year there is no corn or been crop. The numbers aren't good right now.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that only 46 percent of the corn is in good to excellent shape, the lowest level for the first week of July since 1993. A week from Monday, it was 62 percent.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/10/155668/midwest-drought-may-spark-food.html#storylink=cpy

A common point of articles about Climate Change was the scientists continually "under estimated" the rate of change they were studying. That always stood out.

Talk about the money all ya want but what will you talk about when it doesn't rain next year or doesn't snow in the Rockies again this winter.

I don't give a shit what anybody says. That scenario is on the table for sure. I hope there is decent harvest and it very well may come about. There have been several close calls in recent years.

Eventually there will not be a harvest in the Corn Belt. That will be a monster negative event with world wide consequences. Like the ranger said to me recently at Sand Creek "We're in the 14th year of drought".   
 

They Used To Ski Here

39 miles as the crow flies to what was and still is the Cuchara Ski Resort. It was never a destination resort except for locals and many Texans who came up but downhill skiing with lifts and the whole works did happen but has not for some time.

The don't ski because it doesn't snow near enough anymore and for quite some time.  This picture was taken maybe yesterday. Just saying.

You can click on the picture to make it bigger twice.

The google image gives you another perspective as the top picture is a bit deceiving. You go there you are in the mountains and it's getting to that time to go see if they got any Columbines.

This Morning

Yesterday a sustained wind of 35+ and this is what it was like a while ago at 6:15am real time. Supposed to be sunny and 55 tomorrow. We need the moisture. There will not be much happening outside today if anything. Coyote's are on the prowl.



This is a high quality video sent to me from a friend whose job is to make these things. Since we're into the winter mode today check out this recent heliskiing piece done recently in Alaska. It's real good!

   

This Morning

Spring is close. May not seem like it but it is.

It's So Cold & Updated To A Wow Of -45.6

UPDATE  Above 7:20 AM   From a friend who lives six miles out of town.

I can't find out how cold it is but - - - - you can add five to eight to this below and get an idea.

I'm not going to even try to start my car or try until it's maybe -15 or something like that.

I'll stick around today and make sure this shit box don't freeze up. This is brutal and I feel sorry for the people where it's really cold.


The lowest recorded temperature recorded in each state is below. Colorado's was in Maybell just to the west of here with -61 in 1985. The seven states that share boundary's with this state are in red and Montana is highlighted as well as it holds the lowest of the all time lows.

SPRING CAN NOT GET HERE SOON ENOUGH!!


Alabama -27 Jan. 30, 1966 New Market 760
Alaska -80 Jan. 23, 1971 Prospect Creek 1,100

Arizona -40 Jan. 7, 1971 Hawley Lake 8,180

Arkansas -29 Feb. 13, 1905 Pond 1,250
California -45 Jan. 20, 1937 Boca 5,532

Colorado -61 Feb. 1, 1985 Maybell 5,920

Connecticut -32 Feb. 16, 1943 Falls Village 585
Delaware -17 Jan. 17, 1893 Millsboro 20
Florida - 2 Feb. 13, 1899 Tallahassee 193
Georgia -17 Jan. 27, 1940 N. Floyd County 1,000
Hawaii 12 May 17, 1979 Mauna Kea 13,770
Idaho -60 Jan. 18, 1943 Island Park Dam 6,285
Illinois -36 Jan. 5, 1999 Congerville 722
Indiana -36 Jan. 19, 1994 New Whiteland 785
Iowa -47 Feb. 3, 1996* Elkader 770

Kansas -40 Feb. 13, 1905 Lebanon 1,812

Kentucky -37 Jan. 19, 1994 Shelbyville 730
Louisiana -16 Feb. 13, 1899 Minden 194
Maine -48 Jan. 19, 1925 Van Buren 458
Maryland -40 Jan. 13, 1912 Oakland 2,461
Massachusetts -35 Jan. 12, 1981 Chester 640
Michigan -51 Feb. 9, 1934 Vanderbilt 785
Minnesota -60 Feb. 2, 1996 Tower 1,430
Mississippi -19 Jan. 30, 1966 Corinth 420
Missouri -40 Feb. 13, 1905 Warsaw 700

Montana -70 Jan. 20, 1954 Rogers Pass 5,470

Nebraska -47 Feb. 12, 1899 Camp Clarke 3,700
Nevada -50 Jan. 8, 1937 San Jacinto 5,200
New Hampshire -47 Jan. 29, 1934 Mt. Washington 6,288
New Jersey -34 Jan. 5, 1904 River Vale 70

New Mexico -50 Feb. 1, 1951 Gavilan 7,350

New York -52 Feb. 18, 1979* Old Forge 1,720
North Carolina -34 Jan. 21, 1985 Mt. Mitchell 6,525
North Dakota -60 Feb. 15, 1936 Parshall 1,929
Ohio -39 Feb. 10, 1899 Milligan 800

Oklahoma -27 Jan. 18, 1930 Watts 958

Oregon -54 Feb. 10, 1933* Seneca 4,700
Pennsylvania -42 Jan. 5, 1904 Smethport est. 1,500
Rhode Island -25 Feb. 5, 1996 Greene 425
South Carolina -19 Jan. 21, 1985 Caesars Head 3,100
South Dakota -58 Feb. 17, 1936 McIntosh 2,277
Tennessee -32 Dec. 30, 1917 Mountain City 2,471
Texas -23 Feb. 8, 1933* Seminole 3,275

Utah -69 Feb. 1, 1985 Peter's Sink 8,092

Vermont -50 Dec. 30, 1933 Bloomfield 915
Virginia -30 Jan. 22, 1985 Mountain Lake 3,870
Washington -48 Dec. 30, 1968 Mazama 2,120
Winthrop 1,755
West Virginia -37 Dec. 30, 1917 Lewisburg 2,200
Wisconsin -55 Feb.4, 1996 Couderay 1,300

Wyoming -66 Feb. 9, 1933 Riverside 6,650